Hydraulic rotary drilling-machine.



E. ELGREVE. HYDRAULIC ROTARY DRILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION I'ILED MAR. 19, 1914.

Patented Sept.22,1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

E. E. GREVE. HYDRAULIC ROTARY DRILLING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 19, 1914. 1,1 1 1,536.

Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

3 SHEIETS SHBET 2.

I l l l I l l l l E. E. GREVE. HYDRAULIC ROTARY DRILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19, 1914.

Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

EDGAR E. GREVE, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO OIL WELL SUPPLY COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

HYDRAULIC ROTARY DRILLING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

Application filed March 19, 1914. Serial No. 825,875.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDGAR E. Gnnvn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic Ro tary Drilling-Machines; and I do hereby declare ,the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates tc that class of devices used in drilling Artesian wells, commonly termed hydraulic rotary drilling machines, wherewith are employed a sectional drill-stem and astring of tubing interposed between the drill and the drill-stem.

In the case of deep wells it frequently occurs that the drill-string, which is made up of .sections of tubing that are added from time to time, will acquire great length and weight, and as the drill strin must be detached from the drill-stem an manipulated whenever a section is to be added to or taken therefrom, it becomes important that such provision'should be made therefor as will minimize the loss of time and labor of the operator.

The object therefore of my present invention is the productionof a rotary drilling,

machine and its ad'uncts of a character which will permit 0 a ready and effective conversion of thedrilling machine into a machine for manipulating the drilling string, when it becomes necessary to add to or remove sections of the drilling string, and will also facilitate its reconversion into a drilling machine with little loss of time and labor, and with no impairment of the strength or efficiency of the drilling machine, as such.

To this end the main feature of my invention involves the combination with a rotary table, of means for imparting the rotary motion of the table to a drill-stem,

, means for preventing the rotary motion of the table, when desired, slips for supporting a drill-string, and means interposed between the slips and the means for actuating the drill-stem for supporting a drill-string from the rotary table, whereby the slips may be applied to the rotary table without dismantling it or depriving it of its drill actuating elements.

There are other, minor, points of invention, involving features of elemental construction, and particular combinations of coacting elements, all as will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the drawings chosen for the purpose e1 illustrating my invention, the scope whereof will be pointedout in the claims, Figure 1 is a vertical central section of a rotary drilling machine embodying my invention, showing a portion of a drilling string in elevation. Fig. 2 is a detached View, in elevation, of the rotary-table shown in Fig. 1, the lower portion of the table broken off. Fig. 3 is a top or plan view of the rotary-table shown in Fig. 1, portions of the cover of the table broken away, and one of the slip-posts and slip-levers removed. Fig. 4: is a top or plan view of the rotary-table shown in Fig. 1, the cover and slides having been removed, and a portion of the upper section of the table broken out. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the rotary-table,taken in the plane of the line 55, Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig.6 is a plan view of the roller bearings of the rotary-table. Fig. 7 is a view in side elevation of the roller-bearings of the rotary-table. Fig. 8 is a detail plan view of the ends of the slides, and of the slip-blocks, and slips, showing a modificationthereof; and Fig. 9 is a view, in elevation, of a lever which may be used to manipulate the slides which carry the slipblocks.

Like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur.

I will now proceed to describe my invention more fully so that others skilled in the art to which it appertains may apply the same.

In the drawings, 1 indicates skids or sills for the support of the bed-plate 2 of a. rotary table; 3 indicates the rotary-table, and 4 roller bearings interposed between the bedplate 2 and rotary table 3. I p

5, 5" indicate pillow blocks supported on the skids 1, in which is journaled driving shaft 6, having a pinion 7 for imparting rotary motion to the table 3, said shaft having a polygonal portion 6* adapted to receive a wrench-bar or equivalent means for arresting and preventing the rotation of rotarytable 3, and thus avoiding the use of what are termed the back-up tongs in connect} ing up or separating the sections of a drillstring. Splined on the shaft ,6 is a clutch 8,

and a loose sprocket wheel 10, whereby power is communicated to the shaft 6 from any suitable. source. The eneral form of bed-plate 2 is annular, or it is provided with a central opening 2 andsurrounding said central opening 2 is an annular raceway 2 .wherein is a removable racelate. 2' on tion rollers. The shafts 4", 4 of said rollers ar'ejournaled in the concentric rin s 9 and 9 and are arranged in a common p ane.

In the present instance the rotary-table is comprised of two sectionsA and B, said sections being annular or provided with a central opening for the passage of a drillstem and drill-string.

' The lower annular section A is provided on its under surface with a pendant annular flange or skirt 3 which extends down through the central opening of the bedplate 2, and said flange'is rovided below the jbed-plate with a peri eral collar 11 bolted or otherwise secure, to the flange 3 to restrain the rise or jumpin 'of the romy table 'under thethrust o the'driveshaft 6 or the vibration ofthe drill-string. on the under side of said section A' of the rotary table 3 and surrounding the-pendant flange 3 is an annular raceway 3'! corres onding with the raceway 2 of the bedp ate andin this raceway, inter' osed between the bearing-rollers ,4 and t e rotary table, is a removable race-plate 3.

On the under surface of a peripheral overhanging portion of the section-A'of the rotary-table is an annular rack 12 with which the inionv 7 on driving shaft 6 meshes, and on t lie upper surface of section A, at diametrically opposite points, are slotted lugs or projections 13 (see Fig. 4) for the'reception of keys 13 which connect the sections A, B, and there are also radially disposed grooves or channels 14 for the'reception of ribs on the under surface of section B.

B indicates the upper annular section of the rotary-table 3 having upon its under surface radially disposed ribs '15 (see Fig. 2) which enter the channels or ooves 14 on the upper surface of section and this section is also perforated at diametrically opposite points as at 16 for the passage of the slotted lugs or projections 13 on the upper surface of section A. The upper surface of section B is divided into segmental chambers 17' and 18, by means of radially disposed vertical walls 19 connected by vertical arc-sha ed walls 20. The chambers 17 which are c osed toward the central openingof section B are provided in their bottoms with slots or apertures 16 for the passage of the slotted projections 13 on lower section A, while the se ental chambers 18, which are open towar the central opening of section B, and which house the slides '22 that engage the drill stem, are provided with radially disposed groovesor channels 21 for the reception of guide ribs 23 on the under surface of said slides.

22 indicate slides which have the general form of a truncated wedge, which, when the .slides are in their innermost position, re-

sults in an extended bearing between the converging sides of the slides and the radially extending sidewalls of the chambers 18 that'insures an effective support for the slides under thrusts and strains. In order to insure a proper movement of the slides to and from each other on a diametrion their under surfaces with guide ribs 23 which extend longitudinally of the slides and which, when the slides 22 are in their proper positions in chambers 18, enter the guide 0 annels 21 in the ;bottoms of said chambers.

The inner ends of slides 22 are so formed as to engage a drill-stem and impart to the drill-stem and drill-string, the-rotary movement of the table when saidtable is rotated in the drilling operation. The skilled builder will, of course, shape the ends ofsaid slides to the cross section of the drillstem to be used,-consequentl in the principal figures of the drawing see Fig. 3) the inner ends have been shown with T-shaped slots 22 for use with adrill-stem of eneral circular cross section with radially disposed peripheral ribs, while in the modification shown in Fig. 8 the ends of the slides are shown as having Y-shaped slots 22 in order that a drill-stem of polygonal or rectangular cross section may be used. 1

As a provision for manipulating the slides 22 when they are to be moved to or' from each other, said slides are formed with slots or recesses 22 (see Fig. 1) crossed by bolts 22 in order to permit the use of alever L, and in order to provide a fulcrum for the lovers .23 which control the slips 24-,- postholes 22 are formed in the slides 22 in line with the lever slots 22*" for the stepping ofa fulcrum-post.

In Figs. '1 and 3 of the drawings 25, 25

indicate slip-blocks carried by the inner ends of the slides 22, and interposed between: the slides and the slips 24 in order to support a vertical .fiat bearing on the vertical flat -mach'ine for the Operator,

faces of the ends of the slides 22, are supported thereon by a shoulder or ledge 25 (see Fig. l), and are locked to the slides by T-members-25 or dovetail connections between the slides and the slip-blocks, and further are provided with eye-bolts 25 to facilitate the withdrawal of the slip-blocks f the slides; 1

'The inner faces 25 of the slip-blockswhich are also flat and'iare inclined downward and inward (see :Fig. 1) form seats for and afford support to the wedge-shaped slips 2 1 which cause the wedge-shaped slips 24 'to grip or bite on a drill-string S when it the rotary table.

The slips 2-1' have the usual semi-circular serratedgripping faces 2% adaptedto engage a tubing, but their rear surfaces are flat (see Fig.3) and areinclined (see Fig. 1) as indicated, at 2st, or in other words, while "the gripping faces of the slips are semicircular" as usual, the general form-of the slip'and its seat in the slip-block isjof' rectangular 'cross-section, which constructionunifor mlydistributesthe stress of contaet betweenthe slips'24 and the slip-blocks '25 and facilitates the withdrawal of the slip froin'the slip-block. The slips are'provided with eye-bolts and-rings 24"for a purpose which will hereinafter appear.

"In order to protect the slides 22 as well asto'prevent them from rising under strains, and also; to'afford a secure footing on the while manipulating a drill string, I provide an annular cover 26which may be secured to the rotary table-by set screws 26, or in other suitable manner; This cover has lever slots 26 adapted to register with the slide slots 22, lugs 26', through which pass bolts 26 which formfulcrums for lever L, and post-holes 26 adapted to'register with the post-holes 22 in slides 22 when the slides are drawn out or back as indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawing. Extending through the cover and into the slides 22' arethe fulcrum posts 2? on which are pivoted the slip-levers 23, the inner ends of which pass through the rings 24ofthe eye-'bolts-of slips 24. To prevent the accidental disconnection-of the slips and maybe passed through plate, roller-bearings andjdriving' mechatable The section B nlsm having been assembled in the usual manner, section A-of'the table is placed in position on the roller bearings 41 withthe annular rack. 12 in engagement with pinion 7 of the driving shaft 6, and the peripheral. ring 11 is secured to the flange 3 of the secjumping of the rotary of the rotary table is tion A to prevent the cover 26 into pin holes 31*.in slides 22.- is desired to suppont the drill-string Sfrorn themsuperposed on the section A anathe The drilling having proceeded in the usual manner, until it becomes necessary to add a section to the drill-string,-the existing organization of the machine is then aug- "mented by moving the slides 22 until the holes 2 6 in cover 26"register with the holes 522 in slides 22, whereupon the fulcrum Epost's 27 carrying-the pivoted levers 23 are inserted in' the'post-holes 22, the slip-blocks 25 are by means of the dovetail connections 5'25 secured to the inner ends of the slides 22, the. slips 24 are inserted in the slip-blocks 25,*tl1e inner ends of levers 23 are passed through the rin s 24 which are connected to the slips24, an pins 23 are inserted in the pin holes of the levers 23 to prevent theslips 24 from becoming accidentally disengaged from the slip-levers 23.

When the machine is organized as last "noted, that is to say with the slips and slip blocks combined with the slides, the rotation ofthe table may be revented by means of a Wrench bar one end of'which will engage the polygonal portion 6 of the drive shaft "6 and the other will bear on the skids 1 or other suitable fixed point, orequivalent means of preventing the rotation of the rotary table may be resorted to, and when so organized and the'rotary table has been se cured against rotation the machine is in condition to be utilized in adding to or removing sections from a drill-stem anddrillstring in introducing or removing the drilling-string from the well.

In adding toorremoving a section from the drill-string, the rotation of the table 3- is first arrested and locked'against further movement'by meansof the wrench engaging shaft-6, or otherwise, as hereinbefore noted, the drill-stemis secured 'to an elevator in the usual manner, and the slides 22 are wit-hdrawn or movedoutward to disengage the drill-stem, 'after'which the slip-blocks 25, slip-levers 23., fulcrum posts 27"'and slips 24 are added to the first-named elements of the machine in the manner hereinbefore pointed out: These changes in the organization of the rotary-drilling machine can be readily and rapidly made by a skilled operator, and when made, the slips 24 can be manipulated by the slip-levers 23 to seize the drill-string S and transmit its weight to the rotary-table 3 or to release the drill string and leave it suspended by the usual elevator.

If a section is to be added to the drillstring S the drill-string may be slightly lifted by the usual elevator, -the slip-levers 23 manipulated to drop the slips 24 into position in the slip-blocks 25 andinto engagement with the drill-string S, whereupon when the string S is lowered by the elevator, the slips 24 will be firmly wedged between the drill-string S and the slipblocks 25, and the weight of the drill-string will be transmitted to and supported from the rotary-table 3. The drill-stem, or thatby the elevator is connected with the portion of the string supported from the rotarytable, the fulcrum-posts 3 and the slipblocks 25 and slips 24 are removed, and the machine is thus, with a minimum loss in labor and time, reconverted into a rotary drilling machine.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a rotary drilling machine, the combination of a rotary table, slides for imparting the movement of the table to a. drillstem, slips detachably connected with the slides, and means detachably connected with fthe rotary table for moving the slips into and out of operative position.

2. In a rotary drilling machine, the combination of a rotary table, slides for imparting the movement of the rotary table to a drill-stem, means for restraining the movem'ent of the ,rotary table,'slips detachably connected with the slides, and means detachably connected with the rotary table for moving the slips into and out of operative position..

3. In a rotary drilling machine, the combination of a rotary table, slides for imparting the movement of the rotary table to adrill-stem, slip-blocks detachably connected with the slides, slips for engaging a drillstring, and means-detachably connected with the rotary table for moving the slips into and out of operative position.

4. In a rotary drilling machine, the combination of a rotary table, slides for imparting the movement of the rotary table to a drill-stem, slips detachably connected with the slides, levers for moving the slips into and out of operative position, and fulcrum posts for LLe levers, said posts detachably stepped on the slides.

5. In a rotary drilling machine, the combination of a rotary table having slide cham-' bers, slides for imparting the movement of the rotary table to a drill-stem, slip blocks detachably connected with the slides, slips for engaging a drill-string, levers for moving the sli 5 into and out of operative position, and lcrum posts for the levers.

6. In a rotary drilling machine, the com;

bination of a rotary table having slide chamlbers, slides for impartin the movement of the rotary table to a drill-stem, said slides having post-holes, a cover for the slidechambers, said cover having post-holes, slips detachably connected with the slides, -fulcrum posts stepped in the post-holes of the slides, and levers on the fulcrum-posts for moving the slips into and out of operative position. v

7. In a rotary drilling machine, the combination of a rotary table, slides for impartf ing the movement of the rotary table to a drill-stem, slip-blocks detachably connected with the slides, slips detachably connected with the slip-blocks, the contact surfaces of slips and slip-blocks being fiat, and means on the rotary table for moving theslips into 7 and out of operative position.

4 8. In a rotary-drilling machine, the combination of a rotary table, slides for imparting the movement of the table to a drillstem, slips detachably connected with the slides, means detachabl connected with the table for moving the sips into and out of operative position, and a driving shaft and pLnlOIl for imparting rotary motion to the table, the driving shaft having a wrench seat for the application of a wrench to restrain the movement of the rotarytable.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in the presence of two'subscribing witnesses.

, EDGAR E. GREVE.

Witnesses: ALBION C. OGKENDEN, SAMUEL E. SWARTZ. 

